Carl Walsh
A Lombard man faces a hate crime charge alleging he screamed racial slurs, gave a Nazi salute and waved a gun at a park Sunday.
Carl Walsh, 35, of the 600 block of Grace Street, was ordered held in custody after a detention hearing, according to the DuPage County state’s attorney’s office.
He is charged with felony hate crime and misdemeanor disorderly conduct.
According to prosecutors, a Black man and four other people were at a park near the Lombard Lagoon on Sunday when Walsh blew a whistle, screamed racial slurs and “white power,” and gave a Nazi salute.
Walsh then lifted his shirt and began waving a gun, according to authorities. The people left the park and called police.
When police officers located Walsh at his home across from the park, they found he had a BB gun in his possession, prosecutors said.
Authorities said Walsh told officers he felt threatened when he saw the victim walking around the park because the man was of “military age” and may have come from low-income housing. He also told police he feels threatened every day because he is a white man, according to prosecutors. He denied using racial slurs.
“I would like to commend the quick actions and hard work of our officers,” Lombard Police Chief Tom Wirsing said in an announcement of the charges Tuesday. “This behavior will not be tolerated in our community.”
Walsh is scheduled to return to court Sept. 30.